Joel’s Journeys
by Benjamin Rockaway
Summary: Young Joel is just starting out, with a long life ahead of him, this young boy gets in more trouble then is imaginable. So sit right back for a thrilling , enchanted tale of courage, humor and hope. Written with my little sister, Who’s an amazing writer f
1. A Child Is Born

**A Child Is Born**

**1903**

A woman screamed in pain.

The doctor loudly coached her.

A child is born.

Dark brown eyes peered at the child, the boy, from a far corner. Unusually black hair with gleaming baby blue eyes. "Perfect." The man muttered under his breath.

The baby coughed and began to cry as he was set into his mothers arms.



Joel Mic explored the woodsy area outside his cottage home. Although Joel is only 8 years old he should still know better then to creep about the dark Transylvania woods.

The same brown eyes watched carefully from a hidden tree top.

He crept around as he heard a noise approaching him.

"Greetings." The man's voice was think with multiple accents.

Joel jumped back.

"Don't be afraid."

Joel quickly defended himself "I'm not afraid. Who are you?"

"I am Coffè, I want you to remember me, okay?"

Joel nodded taking in the man's dark features.

"I'll see you again, I will, I promise. But only if you remember me." Coffè disappeared back into the dark woods.

Joel started walked hearing his mothers voice.

"JOEL!" She cried.

He quickly rushed home to find his mother standing on the porch a displeased look on her face arms crossed her her chest and foot tapping in disapproval. "Where where you?"

"I took a walk." He muttered more to himself.

"What! Do you know what terrible things are out there, you're only 8 years old!"

"I can take care of myself!' He shouted back.

His mother dropped her jaw and stared at her son "You're grounded... For a week!"

"I HATE YOU!" Joel screamed and stomped off to his room.

Joel sat on his bed "I can't just sit here, I have to find out who that Coffè guy is." he opened the window by his dresser up and began to climb down a the side of his two story house.



In town Joel saw many familiar faces as he traveled their daily with his parents. However he did see one unfamiliar face.

Black hair fell over his pale face, you could hardly see his light brown eyes that seemed to hold a million secrets. His hands fumbled with something in his dark black coat that matched the rest of his attire. He passed a smooth bottle to a man who handed him money in return. Muttering a quick "Thank-you Big Ben."

"excuse me sir?"

"Yes?" The man turned to face Joel having to look down a few feet.

"Do you know a man by the name of Coffè, black, black hair."

"I might, Why?" The man seemed very blunt, he held a strong American accent perhaps a city one.

"My mother sent me to retrieve him for a dinner party."

"Can't be the same Coffè I know. Sorry Kid." Ben turned and left.

"Ignore him." A calm cool voice spoke up behind Joel. "I know where Coffè is, see he likes to hang out in the witch house, I can take you there if you like."

"Can you take me there now?"

"Now!" the man thought for a moment. "I can't take you there now but I can pay your way." A cab pulled up and the man spoke to the driver before turning to Joel "He will bring you there, I have paid him and told him the way."

Joel climbed into the cab.

"Bye Aubrey." The driver waved before pulling out.



The driver pulled up to a small stone house in the woods, "This is it?" Joel asked himself as he walked into the small house. It looked cozy, there were dark brown rugs with green and blue sewn into it. A fire was burning with a small pot water boiling over, incense was burning and there were animal skins hanging from the walls.

A woman sat on a bed in the corner. Young, She had blonde curly hair falling past her shoulders "May I help you?" She asked.

"I'm looking for Coffè, have you seen him?"

"Coffè, perhaps. But before I tell you I want to know who you are. Exactly."

"I am Joel Mic. I'm 8 years old."

"Why are you looking for Coffè?" Her voice echoed into his mind REMEMBER, I CAN TELL IF YOU'RE LYING.

"For a reason."

She stood, WHY?

"He told me to meet him here."

She laughed "I said I'd know if you were lying."

"So... You want the truth?"

YES, I ALWAYS PREFER THE TRUTH.

"I was walking around in the woods, I heard him, then he came out of the woods, he said his name was Coffè and if I promised to remember him I would see him again. Then he disappeared back into the woods."

"Yes, Coffè told me about you, Although he has left to find his spawns, Aubrey and Ben. He has great plans for you." She sat back down "You should feel honored you are a very lucky young man."

"What kind of plans? Lucky? In what way?"

"You will see." She handed him a warm cup of tea. "Right now we have to worry about getting you home. By the way, My name is Tara. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure to meet you too. Do you live here?"

She nodded "It's not much, but it's home. How far away do you live? Can we get you there before night fall?"

"About two hours." He took a sip. "What time is it?"

"2:30. We should begin walking before your mother notices you're missing."

"How do you know my mother doesn't know I'm here."

"Because you told me silly." She put a green cloak on before exiting the house. "Come on you don't want to be grounded longer."

Joel started the long walk back home.



Joel climbed up the side of the house and back through his window sitting himself back on the bed.

A few minutes later his mother calls up the stairs "Joel dinner!"

He headed down stairs sitting at the table.

"Joel," His mother said "I'm sorry I snapped like that earlier, but you are still not allowed in the woods without me."

Snoopy, Joel's 2 year old puppy moans staring at his dry dog food.

Joel written by Colleen

Ben, Aubrey, Coffèand Tara by Emily(me)

Mom, Snoopy by Both


	2. A Dog's Tail

A Dogs Tail  
1912  
" Fetch!" Joel shouted to his three year old pup. "Snoopy, you're supposed to catch."

Snoopy stared at the ball a few feet in front of him as he laid on the soft grass.

"Joel! Lunch!" His mother yelled.

"Mm, spaghetti, but I'm not hungry." Joel sat down to listen to the family radio. Not knowing Snoopy was still outside.

Snoopy wondered into the dark Transylvania woods.



"Joel! Time for Church." His Mother called from their wagon.

Joel climbed in and they began their quick ride into town.

His mother went first, she entered the small room for confession as Joel sat in the hallway playing with the big bowl of holy water. "Today I lied to my son. I told him I'd take him to the market place if he'd leave me alone. Forgive me."

Soon it was time for Joel, he crossed himself and entered the small room "Father, I've sinned today, it's been two weeks since my last confession. Today I fought with a kid across from my home. Okay, good-bye."

The father was a little stunned but prayed for Joel anyway.

A little while later, when they got home, they all sat in the living room listening to the radio.



Snoopy watched the man. Blonde hair cut short, long bangs falling right above his upper lip. His eyes were dark unless you were to look into them, you'd see a bright, crystal blue. His skin was free from blemishes or marks. Kevin. Kevin eyes the dog "Here puppy." Kevin took the dog by his collar "Good boy." he grabbed the dog harshly then threw him to the ground "Stay!" he pulled him onto his Hein legs and gave him a toothy grin "Sit." Kevin sunk his vampire teeth deep into the dogs neck.

Snoopy whimpered pulling hard, yelps excaped his dry lips.

Kevin dropped him down and pricked his finger, letting a small amount of blood drip into the puppy's throat. "Play dead." he disappeared into the darkness.



Back home Joel was searching franticly for his lost pup. "Where are you snoopy?" he looked every where, he looked inside, outside, the front yard and back, he even double checked his little dog house. Snoopy was nowhere to be found. Joel was very upset. He yelled over and over again "Snoopy! Snoopy, where are you? Please come home."

Poor Snoopy was lying all alone, stiff and dead, in the middle of the woods.

Joel asked his mother if he could go into the woods.

"No, When I'm done eating, I'll take you to look for snoopy."

Joel decided to go himself, He was wondering in the woods when he saw a dog in the woods, it was snoopy! He ran over very excited, until he realized his dog was dead. Joel was crying over snoopy's cold, dead body as he heard a gasp of air from his supposed dead dog. "snoopy! You're alive. I knew you couldn't be dead."

Snoopy moaned looking very confused.

Joel headed back home, his dog right behind him until he stepped out into broad sunlight.

Snoopy hesitantly stepped out, steam rising from his little form as he jumped behind a bush. Whimpering at the edge of the forest, snoopy began to bark after his master who slowed down and turned to look at his frightened pup. "Come on snoop."

Snoopy took a quick unneeded breath and dashed toward the house.

"Wait up snoopy!" Joel watched his dog kick up dust or what seemed like dust.



7 hours later Joel was lying in bed with Snoopy beside him. Joel carfully watched Snoopy. He relized he wasn't breathing, he felt his chest his heart wan't beating. "Snoopy!"

Snoopy sat up, looking very confused.

Joel was slightly shocked stareing at his cold puppy.



Once his parents were a sleep, Joel grabbed his dog and headed into town, determined to find someone to help Snoopy. He came to a man.

The man was about 6 feet tall, he wore a leather jacket with a short sleeve red shirt, and black cargo pants. His eyes were a dark blue, going along great with his dyed bleach blond hair.

Joel tapped the man on the shoulder "excuse me, can you help my dog? I think he's sick. He's not breathing, but he's still alive."

"Is he afraid of the light?"

"Yes, he won't go near any other then bulb or candle light."

"When did you realize he was sick?"

"Last night, When he was not breathing."

"Leave him with me a few days. I'll find out what's wrong."

"How do I know you'll give me my dog back?"

"I will. Besides I swear I wont do anything to hurt him, just a few tests." Spike flashed the young boy a grin.

Joel left Snoopy with Spike.

3 days later, Joel returned to town seeing Spike standing by a small building with snoopy sniffing around him. Spike gently pushed the dog a few feet away with his black combat boots "Stay over there." Snoopy barked happily seeing his master.

Spike turned to face Joel.

"Are you done?"

"Yes."

"What was wrong?"

"I want you to listen very carefully. Have you ever heard of a vampire?"

"Duh." Joel gave him a blank stare.

"Well, your dog is... A vampire. The living dead."

"Yeah right." Joel grabbed his dog and began walking away quickly.

"Hold on." Joel skidded to a stop and faced Spike. His eyes seemed very frightening in the dark moon light. "Take him to Ben. He will tell you."

"There's like a million Ben's in this town." Joel rolled his eyes.

"Ben Rockaway." Spike shouted after the (in his opinion) foolish boy.

"Who?"

"You'll know him when you see him."

Joel nodded and left home with his dog. "I'm sorry snoopy, I should have never left you with that man."



Joel sat on his bed and thought "Could snoopy really be a vampire?" He climbed down the side of his house. "I have to find Ben." just then he heard his mother yell for him. He climbed back up the side of the house. _Kock, knock. _He opened the door "Yeah Mom?"

"We're going out for dinner, get dressed and get in the wagon." She turned on one heal and left.



After dinner, around 9:00, Joel was trying to teach Snoopy a trick "Sit snoopy, Roll over, sit." He huffed "Snoopy, let's go into town, okay?"

There were lots of people in town, he soon decided to head back to his wagon. "Snoopy, I think we're lost."

Snoopy's tail was wagging like crazy, he was sniffing at everyone. He came across black combat boots.

"Snoopy, where'd you go?" Joel looked up at the familiar face whom had blown him off the year before. "Big Ben?" He mouthed "excuse me?"

Big Ben, or Benjamin Rockaway pushed past the small dog who barked and followed.

"Wait. A man told me you could help me with my dog. He's not breathing but he seems okay."

Ben looked down at the little dogs pleading eyes. "Snoopy?" He leaned down feeling the dog's chest and removing a cross from his pocket. He hand began to steam as Joel watched wide eyed. Ben put the cross near snoopy who whimpered and jumped back barking at the cheap metal. "Listen kid. Your Dog is dead. He's a vampire." The Man went on but Joel wasn't listening.

Spike was right, Snoopy was a vampire and he was dead. Would he be able to take him home? Would his dog try to bite him? Joel looked up at Ben tears filling his eyes "That can't be."

Joel by Colleen

Ben, Spike by Emily

Snoopy, Momby Both


End file.
